TLA Group

In suburbia, teachers deal with the open disrespect of the upper-and-middle-class parent. I'm talking about those parents who fight for every letter grade, who teach their children to teach the teacher a lesson, and who regard teachers as merely obstacles on the way to an Ivy League admission. I was often amazed by the outrageous lies some parents would tell to get an extension on their child's assignment.

In suburbia, teachers deal with the open disrespect of the upper-and-middle-class parent. I'm talking about those parents who fight for every letter grade, who teach their children to teach the teacher a lesson, and who regard teachers as merely obstacles on the way to an Ivy League admission. I was often amazed by the outrageous lies some parents would tell to get an extension on their child's assignment.

the system is demeaning

I quit because the system is demeaning.

In suburbia, teachers deal with the open disrespect of the upper-and-middle-class parent. I'm talking about those parents who fight for every letter grade, who teach their children to teach the teacher a lesson, and who regard teachers as merely obstacles on the way to an Ivy League admission. I was often amazed by the outrageous lies some parents would tell to get an extension on their child's assignment.

in terms of prestige, teachers are attacked on all sides regardless of demographics. We've even created positions where teachers are expected to leave the classroom if they wish to "move up" in the profession. It's a self-absorbed, ego-driven, adult-centered system of educational governance.

Union leaders are too often mere mouthpieces skimming off teachers' paychecks.

All people want to not only do what they love, but to be respected for it.

we should be negotiating for structural changes that will allow top teachers to be recognized and given leadership positions while remaining in the classroom for their entire careers.

No matter how much we regulate, we will always have to trust our teachers to be our surrogate parents, to take our children for an hour or six a day, to protect them, and to mold them into better people.

If we continue to treat our teachers like children, what will become of our children?

Lead the conversation around connectivity and involve students in the creation of policies. Incorporate the responsible use of mobile and social technologies into acceptable-use policies. Promote one-to-one access to connectible devices, including students’ own devices, to allow for anytime-anywhere learning. Incorporate cyberbullying and sexting prevention guidelines into the student code of conduct. Participate in and provide teachers professional development on the effective use of mobile devices and networking in schools.

Articulate clear technology policies that have sufficient latitude for schools to connect electronically without fear of retribution or undue consequences. Provide technical and financial support to schools that aspire to connect students and adopt one-to-one programs. Reduce Internet filtering to maximize student access to online learning tools and to provide opportunities to exercise judgment in the selection of those tools.